SBP editorial: Who should own Ireland’s rail network?

Ireland’s rail network has been in state hands since the conclusion of World War II and despite the occasional experiment with private ownership (Dublin’s light rail Luas springs to mind), the view of all governments has been that despite its many challenges, CIE/Irish Rail remains the company best equipped to operate Ireland’s myriad of rail routes.

Hardline opposition to EU solidarity in funding the cost of Covid-19 is driven by German allergy to ‘imprudent’ spending, and by Dutch politicians fearing the transfer of funds to southern countries would provoke a far-right backlash